Bulls sunk by Condors in Sunday matinee

COW PALACE — 4,257 Bay Area sports fans — probably still juiced from the 49ers’ Saturday night win over the Packers — flooded into the Cow palace Sunday to cheer on the San Francisco Bulls. They would rally behind the home team, but despite a third period rally, the Bulls would fall to the Bakersfield Condors 4-2.

Neither team could get on the scoreboard in the first period. San Francisco goalie Taylor Nelson would demonstrate control of the net yet again, blocking Bakersfield’s first 17 shots and making it look easy.

But the Condors would get the jump on Nelson early in the second period with near back-to-back goals. The first was at 58 seconds into the period by Condor Francis Verrault, assisted by Daniel Koger. The next goal, by Jacob Lagace, would come a mere 11 seconds later. This would prompt a Bulls goalie change, giving the crowd their first look at recently-acquired Bulls goalie Bryan Hince.

Bakersfield would get the puck past Hince at 4:34 with a shorthanded goal by Nicholas Tremblay. Fed up with the domination by the opposing team, San Francisco’s lead scorer Peter Sivak would soar down the center of the ice and launch the puck past goalie Scott Greenham to put the Bulls on the board 3-1.

After a raucous second period, both team’s retired to their respective dressing rooms with 23 shots a piece.

The Bulls would answer the call for more offense early in the third period, as Kris Belan, with help from Justin Bowers, would find the net and bring the score to 3-2. In a late attempt to tie the game, San Francisco pulled Hince. Sadly, it would result in an empty net goal for Bakersfield, sealing the 4-2 loss.

Following a long week off, the Bulls will be back in action next weekend, with an away-and-home back-to-back against the Stockton Thunder. The puck drops at 7:15 p.m.